Lean Into What You Have — Including the Land Itself

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: lean into your resources. That includes your local Ag Extension office, friends and family cheering you on, and anyone willing to lend a hand or share advice. But there’s another powerful resource you might be overlooking — your land itself.

Take our property, for example. It sits high on a ridge where the wind never really stops. Sometimes it’s a gentle breeze, other times it feels strong enough to lift you off the ground. That constant wind? It’s more than just a weather report — it’s potential wind power.

We also happen to have very few standing trees, which means wide-open spaces with tons of sunlight — perfect conditions for solar energy. As we plan for the long term, that opens the door to renewable, sustainable power sources right on-site.

And then there are the leftovers. The previous owners harvested timber, which left behind a surprising bonus: tons of fallen trees and limbs. Instead of seeing that as a mess to clean up, we saw opportunity — the potential to create our own mulch.

The point is: sometimes your greatest resources aren’t what you bring in — they’re what’s already around you. Take time to observe your land. Listen to it. Let it guide your decisions. There’s so much value just waiting to be uncovered — sometimes literally under your feet.